Warehouse 13

One of my other summer shows, which seems to be quickly gaining a cult following is Warehouse 13. It's been often compared to the X-Files, Fringe, and Eureka. Never seen the latter two (never interested me), but I was a quasi-X-Files fan back in the day... it's like that show, but at the same time it isn't. If I say Warehouse 13 is comedic, sci-fi fans are going to cringe, thinking the show is full of mockery of sci-fi, but this isn't so. Whereas Scully and Mulder were pretty serious, Pete and Myka are a little more jovial. There is no skeptic vs. believer motif here, it's just two agents, one serious (Myka) one a bit more joking (Pete) who solve odd crimes.

X-Files was a great show, and it was a drama. They tended to deal with heavy handed motifs and the show had a very dark, very serious nature most of the time. Warehouse 13 is a drama, but it's very straightforward, and each episodes ends more or less on a happy ending. Okay, enough of the comparisons....

Warehouse 13 is a massive warehouse in South Dakota where the United States government covertly collects and stores all the mystic/magical/supernatural/alien artifacts in the world until (or if in some cases) they can be used for the betterment of mankind/the United States government. Pete and Myka are kind of hornswoggled into working for this organization, and while the latest episode hinted and Myka's growing distress with the job, they have more or less learned to love it/live with it.

I think what draws people to the show is it's limitless possibilities. This warehouse is MASSIVE and there could be any number of things in it that the writers could make an episode around. Thus far we've seen Lucrezia Borgia channeled through a young woman (via her comb), a recording of a song which makes people blissfully unaware of the world as long as it's playing (all the better to rob banks with), James Braid's inhibition releasing chair, Rheticus' compass, Native American magical elements which make the user extremely powerful, and then most recently, the Spine of the Saracen which, as one of the characters puts it is "ancient PCP". Good stuff.

I was drawn to this show by it's concept. Like I said, the possibilities are endless, as the artifacts I've listed above are just the main artifact that drives that episodes story line. There are plenty of other artifacts either mentioned in passing or shown jokingly or not so jokingly. What also drives me to this show is the history. I loves me some history, and while they don't really get into any history, by constantly drawing on history, they're being historical without being horribly inaccurate which makes historians like myself cringe... so it's fun with history, and I can enjoy it.

Honestly, I think I could recommend this show to almost anyone.. the only people who out and out would not like it are people who legitimately hate sci-fi, but then why would you watch a show on SyFy anyways? This show is not going to blow you away, it's not like the best show I've ever seen or anything, but it's fun, and it keeps me coming back week after week. Check it out.

Happy TV watchin'!